Culture of the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is rapidly expanding. Combined with their continuing role as an environmental sentinel species and ecological model, this trend necessitates improved molecular tools for breeding and selection, as well as population assessment and genetic conservation. Here, we describe the development and validation of two panels of 58 single nucleotide polymorphism markers (SNPs) for the species. Population analyses revealed three distinct populations, based on FST values and STRUCTURE, among wild oysters sampled from Delaware Bay (1), northwest Florida (2), Alabama (2), Louisiana (2), and the Texas Gulf Coast (3), consistent with previous microsatellite and mtDNA analyses...

In a swift revolution, CRISPR/Cas9 has reshaped the means and ease of interrogating biological questions. Particularly, mutants that result in a nuclease-deactivated Cas9 (dCas9) provide scientists with tools to modulate transcription of genomic loci at will by targeting transcriptional effector domains. To interrogate the temporal order of events during transcriptional regulation, rapidly inducible CRISPR/dCas9 systems provide previously unmet molecular tools. In only a few years of time, numerous light and chemical-inducible switches have been applied to CRISPR/dCas9 to generate dCas9 switches...

BACKGROUND: Managing HIV treatment is a complex multi-dimensional task because of a combination of factors such as stigma and discrimination of some populations who frequently get infected with HIV. In addition, patient-provider encounters have become increasingly multicultural, making effective communication and provision of ethically sound care a challenge. PURPOSE: This article explores ethical issues that health service providers in the United States and Botswana encountered in their interaction with patients in HIV care...

The global network of cyclotrons has expanded rapidly over the last decade. The bulk of its industrial potential is composed of small medical cyclotrons with a proton energy below 20 MeV for radionuclides production. This review focuses on the recent developments of novel medical radionuclides produced by cyclotrons in the energy range of 3 MeV to 20 MeV. The production of the following medical radionuclides will be described based on available literature sources: Tc-99 m, I-123, I-124, Zr-89, Cu-64, Ga-67, Ga-68, In-111, Y-86 and Sc-44...

BACKGROUND: Previous studies integrated opioid benefit and harm into one single function-the utility function-to determine the drug toxicity (respiratory depression) in light of its wanted effect (analgesia). This study further refined the concept of the utility function using the respiratory and analgesic effects of the opioid analgesic alfentanil as example. METHODS: Data from three previous studies in 48 healthy volunteers were combined and reanalyzed using a population pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic analysis to create utility probability functions...

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a successful procedure, although up to 20% of patients remain dissatisfied. Preoperative identification of appropriate TKA candidates is essential for improving satisfaction. This study investigated if preoperative radiographic severity was associated with postoperative pain, function, and quality of life after TKA. We performed a cross-sectional cohort study including 327 TKA patients. Radiographic severity was determined by two independent radiologists using the Kellgren and Lawrence (KL) score...

BACKGROUND: Concerns about antipsychotic prescribing for children, particularly those enrolled in Medicaid and with Supplemental Security Income (SSI), continue despite recent calls for selective use within established guidelines. OBJECTIVES: To (a) examine the application of 6 quality measures for antipsychotic medication prescribing in children and adolescents receiving Medicaid and (b) understand distinctive patterns across eligibility categories in order to inform ongoing quality management efforts to support judicious antipsychotic use...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review describes the advances in 3D virtual planning for mandibular and maxillary reconstruction surgical defects with full prosthetic rehabilitation. The primary purpose is to provide an overview of various techniques that apply 3D technology safely in primary and secondary reconstructive cases of patients suffering from head and neck cancer. RECENT FINDINGS: Methods have been developed to overcome the problem of control over the margin during surgery while the crucial decision with regard to resection margin and planning of osteotomies were predetermined by virtual planning...

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs involved in the posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression. Deregulated miRNA levels have been linked to Burkitt lymphoma (BL) pathogenesis. To date, the number of known pathogenesis-related miRNA-target gene interactions is limited. Here, we determined for the first time the miRNA targetomes of primary BL tumors and normal B cells. AGO2-RNA immunoprecipitation (AGO2-RIP) of two frozen diagnostic BL tissue samples and three CD19+ B-cell samples isolated from routinely removed tonsils revealed distinct miRNA targetomes of BL and normal B cells...

In this article, we analyse the potential benefits and disadvantages of permitting healthcare professionals to invoke conscientious objection to deceased organ donation. There is some evidence that permitting doctors and nurses to register objections can ultimately lead to attitudinal change and acceptance of organ donation. However, while there may be grounds for conscientious objection in other cases such as abortion and euthanasia, the life-saving nature of donation and transplantation renders objection in this context more difficult to justify...

Asylum seekers are a vulnerable population for contracting infectious diseases. Outbreaks occur among children and adults. In the Netherlands, asylum seeker children are offered vaccination according to the National Immunization Program. Little is known about protection against vaccine-preventable diseases (VPD) in adult asylum seekers. In this 2016 study, we assessed the immunity of adult asylum seekers against nine VPD to identify groups that might benefit from additional vaccinations. We invited asylum seekers from Syria, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Eritrea and Ethiopia to participate in a serosurvey...

BACKGROUND: Despite international recommendations and supportive evidence, there are few examples of scaled-up and sustained programs to provide adolescents with sexuality education. Moreover, despite acknowledgment that building community support and responding to resistance are key challenges, there is a lack of detailed discussion on specific programmatic strategies to address these issues. OBJECTIVES: This article reviews the work of 2 organizations-Aahung and Rutgers Pakistan-that are successfully implementing large-scale sexuality education programs in Pakistan, collectively reaching more than 500,000 students...

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, surgical resection is the preferred treatment for typical carcinoids and atypical carcinoids located in the lungs. Recently however, several studies have shown excellent long-term outcome after endobronchial treatment of carcinoid tumors located in the central airways. This study investigates clinical and radiological features as predictors of successful endobronchial treatment in patients with a bronchial carcinoid tumor. OBJECTIVES: To identify clinical and radiological features predictive of successful endobronchial treatment in patients with bronchial carcinoid...

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitides (AAV) are systemic autoimmune diseases characterized by necrotizing inflammation of small- to medium-sized blood vessels, affecting primarily the lungs and kidneys. Both animal and human studies show that the balance between inflammatory- and regulatory T and B cells determines the AAV disease pathogenesis. Recent evidence shows malfunctioning of the regulatory lymphocyte compartment in AAV. In this review we summarize the immune regulatory properties of both T- and B cells in patients with AAV and discuss how aberrations herein might contribute to the disease pathogenesis...

Chromosome conformation capture (3C) and its derivatives (e.g., 4C, 5C and Hi-C) are used to analyze the 3D organization of genomes. We recently developed targeted chromatin capture (T2C), an inexpensive method for studying the 3D organization of genomes, interactomes and structural changes associated with gene regulation, the cell cycle, and cell survival and development. Here, we present the protocol for T2C based on capture, describing all experimental steps and bio-informatic tools in full detail. T2C offers high resolution, a large dynamic interaction frequency range and a high signal-to-noise ratio...

Much of the immense present day biological diversity of Neotropical rainforests originated from the Miocene onwards, a period of geological and ecological upheaval in South America. We assess the impact of the Andean orogeny, drainage of Lake Pebas and closure of the Panama isthmus on two clades of tropical trees (Cremastosperma, ca 31 spp.; and Mosannona, ca 14 spp.; both Annonaceae). Phylogenetic inference revealed similar patterns of geographically restricted clades and molecular dating showed diversifications in the different areas occurred in parallel, with timing consistent with Andean vicariance and Central American geodispersal...

BACKGROUND: Platelets (PLTs) stored in PLT additive solution (PAS) are associated with fewer allergic reactions than plasma-stored PLTs. However, earlier studies could not provide conclusive evidence on febrile reactions and did not analyze other transfusion reactions separately due to limited sample size. We therefore compared incidences of all transfusion reactions of PAS-B-PLTs, PAS-C-PLTs, and plasma-PLTs. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: In this observational study, all transfusion reactions reported to the national hemovigilance office of the Netherlands from 2006 to 2015 were included...